The Lure of Stained Glass

A few weekends ago my husband and I went to the Scarecrow Festival at Milton. All the shops have scarecrows on display outside them according to the theme for the year. The time we went last the theme was fairy tales. This time it was horror. As well as the scarecrows, footpaths and parks are filled with markets, stalls and entertainers dancing and singing, a petting zoo and jumping castle for kids and lots of other things.

We were interested to see a church with its doors open inviting people in for a time of quiet, to pray or just to take a look around. We went in and up near the altar were some traditional stained glass windows. Anyone who knows me knows I love leadlight and stained glass. I love the richness of colours and the way light shines through making them look like jewels.  Here is more info about the historic church for anyone interested. http://www.ohta.org.au/organs/organs/MiltonAng.html

Then we turned around and I was immediately taken by the leadlight window at the back of the church.

From a resident of the area we found out it had only been installed about five years ago. While the other traditional stained glass windows were beautiful, it was the newer window that mesmerised me. It showed the dove symbolising the Holy Spirit and the light shining down from the dove onto the Great Southern Land of Australia, right to the spot of Milton.

It made me think of how the ways of doing things has changed over the years. The style of this newer stained glass window was very different to the traditional stained glass windows, while still retaining the richness of the older craft. Both were beautiful but probably appealed to different people and in different ways. I saw one lady look at the newer window and dismiss it before turning back to the older windows, whereas my husband and I were riveted by the newer window. I thought it’s a bit like the change in publishing these days from traditional publishing to the innovative E publishing.  

Some people prefer to stick with the tried and true while others eagerly embrace the new initiative. I admit to being one who has resited this change for a while but recently all that changed. In an effort to bring Streets on a Map to the attention of more readers, those who like to read on Kindle and perhaps those who do not have the money to shell out for a paperback, Streets on

a Map is now published as an E Book.

Like anything new, I am still finding my way around the whole E book revolution but at least I have made a start. And I’m enjoying hearing from people who have read the opening chapter and then proceeded to buy it. Of course the more we open ourselves up to new readers, the more positive feedback, word of mouth and reviews I hope it will engender. Or of course it could also be that thorny kind mentioned in a recent post. But either way my novel is now readily available to more people. I hope and pray it will reach them at a deeper level, causing them to think about where they stand with God and the choices they make in their lives.